By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2013) — Is Pittsfield Mayor Dan Bianchi a racist? That is the claim being made by a Medford businesswoman after two contentious meetings in April with the Pittsfield mayor.

A preposterous assertion, isn’t it? Or is it?

THE PLANET has known Bianchi, a member of our class, the PHS class of 1969 (Stracuzzi, Grunin were as well in that precocious group of wunderkinds), since well before then, when his family and mine were communicants of the former Mt. Carmel Church, under the aegis of the late, great Fr. Camillio Santini. Bianchi would seem to be lily white of the charge of racism, pun intended.

A Misunderstanding or a True Case of Discrimination Based on a Person’s Skin Color?

Nonetheless, that is the charge being made against the mayor by Medford businesswoman Doreen Wade, publisher and president of the New England Informer, an online news magazine. Wade, who has deep ties to the city of Pittsfield, wants to move her operations to Shire town from Medford for both professional and personal reasons, continuing her online magazine and reviving a print version of the Informer.

THE PLANET’s quick impression after a lifetime of knowing Bianchi and having exchanged lengthy e-mails and long phone call with Ms. Wade: She is an independent publisher, an entrepreneur, an activist, and the kind of assertive woman of color that people like Bianchi — a white man living in an essentially white town personally sheltered from Mean Streets and Hard Knox — don’t know how to handle. Bianchi’s awkwardness may have been misinterpreted by Wade to be something other than it was. We could also see Bianchi’s handling of her as being misconstrued.

That would be the most kind explanation, and THE PLANET would readily embrace it — except that’s not what Wade is contending. She points out that she’s been black all her life and knows racism from simple human misunderstanding when it rears its ugly head. What complicates judgment in this case is Bianchi’s reluctance to speak on (or off) the record with THE PLANET.

We will try again with the mayor.

Seeking a Return Home

Wade is looking to move back to Pittsfield, where she spent many summers visiting with relatives and where much of her extended family still lives. In pursuit of that goal, she first tried contacting the city’s community development office as a precursor to her move, and, not getting any response there, went to the mayor’s office.

Here are the facts as best as we can determine.

* Bianchi and Wade had two meetings, on April 3 and on April 29. The second was worst than the first. Wade called it “ugly.”

* Wade says Bianchi made “racially insensitive” remarks to her at both meetings and especially at the second. Bianchi denies that. Wade repeated her charges to THE PLANET. Bianchi, for his part, ignored three requests by THE PLANET in response to Wade’s charges. Bianchi’s silence is most troubling, indicating that there may be a sore spot here. The mayor must know he’s dealing with a charge of racial insensitivity. He knows that it might be political dynamite in this election season. His silence, thus, speaks volumes, whether he intends it to or not and whether is should or not.

* On April 3, Wade met with Bianchi in the corner office, at 11 a.m. She wanted to discuss moving The Informer to Pittsfield and also find out if the city would or could help with assistance. She says she wasn’t asking for a handout but only doing the normal due diligence any business would do upon relocation to a new city. There are numerous programs meant to encourage business development.

According to Wade, Bianchi was on the defensive from the beginning. “He showed little interest in what I was saying,” Wade said. “When I presented him with a copy of The Informer, he didn’t even look at it. He handed it back to me.” Wade says Bianchi told her the city had no Affirmative Action policy. It clearly has, as anyone can access online. She says that Bianchi made statements that black children are not as smart as whites, based on the graduation rates in the high schools. He noted the lack of availability “of positive roles models” for blacks locally. Depending on nuance, inflection, and other informants of the spoken word, that could be interpreted to mean that blacks are unreliable, shiftless, and imbecilic. When Wade asked why there are no black employees in city hall, she said Bianchi, becoming visibly irritated, replied there were no blacks who were qualified based on the fact that, in a city with open application, no one had applied.

This account of Bianchi’s reaction walks a fine line between accuracy and flatly stating, as Los Angeles Dodgers GM Al Campanis infamously said, that black “don’t possess the necessary attributes.” Essentially, as Wade heard it, Bianchi told her that “blacks were too stupid” to graduate at a rate equalling whites and that they were not “equipped enough” to work in city hall. Is she being overly sensitive or did the mayor come across in a racist manner? Both? Neither? A little of each?

* Bianchi told Wade, a priori, that her business would not succeed because there weren’t enough blacks living in Pittsfield to justify her product. That would seem an odd judgment to make. How would the mayor be in a position to know that? If Wade is willing to assume the financial risks, why not embrace her idea?

* The meeting on April 3 was supposed to be an hour long. After 25 minutes, however, Wade said Bianchi, after repeatedly looking at his watch, abruptly ended the meeting, escorting her out of the office and walking away.

* After what she perceived as hostile treatment based solely on her skin color, Wade contacted Will Singleton, president of the Berkshire Chapter of the NAACP, and Pittsfield councilor-at-large Churchill Cotton.

* Singleton attended the next meeting, on April 29, as did Ann Dobrowolski of the city’s Community Development Office and Mary McGinnis, the mayor’s assistant and director of administrative services. Of the April 29 meeting, Wade says: “He [Bianchi] did not use the word ‘uppity’ when we were alone. He was very careful not to use that kind of word. He just kept asking me, over and over, ‘Where are you from?’ However, when we were all together at the second meeting, he accused me of being up to no good and trying to go after him. He kept saying in front of people, ‘Who do you think you are?’ That was his wording: ‘Who do you think you are?’ That is a quote.”

That question, especially repeated in a hostile manner, could be interpreted as meaning the same thing as “uppity.” [We here add this lexiconic note: "Uppity" is a code word used by powerful whites when they come up against a black who will not play the Uncle Tom in the manner proscribed by "polite society."] At that meeting, Wade says she thought “the mayor would make good and apologize.” It’s clear that he didn’t. In fact, Wade says the second meeting was worse than the first. Bianchi became “agitated and rude, and he said I was going to be a troublemaker.” Wade called the second meeting “ugly.”

* Bianchi has refused to make himself available to THE PLANET’s questions, probably — and this is only a surmise — because he knows we won’t “kid glove” him the way The Pittsfield Gazette did and the Berkshire Beacon did. The Gazette did a brief story in its May 16 issue, which it buried on page 7. The treatment was favorable to the mayor, who was quoted as calling Wade’s race-related accusations “totally untrue, totally inaccurate.” Bianchi told the Beacon, also on May 16: “The operative word here is ‘allegedly.’ I don’t know how she could have misconstrued anything I said.” If all this is true, THE PLANET again wonder why the mayor would not make himself available to our questioning.

* To the Beacon, Bianchi denied saying there was no Affirmative Action program in Pittsfield. He denied telling Wade that blacks were not good students and were not graduating at expected rates. Bianchi denies saying he wouldn’t support Wade application for PERC funding. Wade says Bianchi is lying about all of this.

A ‘Tinder’ Situation that May Yet Explode

Whether of not Bianchi knows it, he’s sitting on racial tinder in a room full of dynamite. The more he refuses to speak to these charges, the more he appears to admit his guilt. THE PLANET doesn’t know if Bianchi is a racist or not; we don’t think he is. It sounds like there has been a colossal misunderstanding that has only gotten worse instead of better.

Later, after the April 3 meeting, Wade spoke to a closed-door meeting of the local NAACP. Of this meeting, Singleton said: “Everybody expressed their concern about the description she gave,” referring to Wade’s accounts of her meetings with Bianchi. “But we didn’t have Mayor Bianchi to hear his side.” Supposedly, Singleton will be meeting with the mayor for more information.

On Monday, THE PLANET will try to report on Wade’s closed-door remarks to the NAACP. THE PLANET is attempting to get a transcript of her remarks. We understand from someone who was in the room that, in her remarks to the NAACP, Wade provided further details of her interactions with the mayor, including a bombshell accusation that Bianchi had her investigated.

The more THE PLANET looks into this story, the more it’s looking like a foot-long crap sandwich that the mayor will, sooner or later, be forced to eat. If he made mistakes with Wade, he should honestly address them. If he is the victim here, he needs to stand before the public and strongly make his case. No one wants to believe the worst about Bianchi in this case, but the more he tries to pretend Doreen Wade never visited him, the more this case will linger.

Only an open confrontation with the facts of this case will put this story to rest. The best way to this to happen is a joint public appearance with Wade, where they can both make their statements, be asked questions, and attempt to achieve reconciliation.

THE PLANET believes this matter can be honorably settled to everyone’s satisfaction.

————————————————————————————-

“Now I will do nothing but listen, / To accrue what I hear into this song, to let sounds contribute / toward it.” — Walt Whitman, “Leaves of Grass,” 26.

I remember when Pittsfield politics was discriminatory to Police Officer Walter Powell, who is a black man, and he made out with a one million dollar settlement from the taxpayers.
There was a theory that Pittsfield has 2 high schools for racist (and classist) reasons. The privileged white students went to Pittsfield High School. The disadvantaged black students went to Taconic High School. Now that Pittsfield has lost over 20,000 people who have moved away and many others to school choice, does Pittsfield still need 2 high schools?
I think Mayor Dan Bianchi is a good man. I don’t know the facts of his case, however. He seems to think that Doreen Wade is out to get him. Does she have good reason? Per black and other minority personnel in City Hall, I would ask how many minorities work for the Pittsfield city government? The City of Pittsfield is the single largest employer in Pittsfield. How many minorities work for the city government, including the school department?
When I a Soldier was in the U.S. Army, my Sergeant and Staff Sergeant were both black and they did not treat me fairly. I endured a lot of abuse from them. I always wondered if it was reverse racism. I am a Disabled Veteran now. I served our nation Honorably. There were racial conflicts in my Army unit. Some of the black Sergeants told me they did not believe I was treated fairly by my black Staff Sergeant. Some of my fellow black Soldiers advocated for me and protected me from bullying. There were white Soldiers who made racist confict against the black Soldiers. I didn’t like that. I thought that we should all get along and serve together as one unit.
When I worked at a bank in Pittsfield, my branch manager used the racist word “wop” against me because my last name is Italian-American. When I complained to the bank management and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, my Branch Manager who had me fired denied all of his behavior and words. The bank managment and MCAD did nothing for me. I got screwed once again by discrimination after my experience int he service.
In Pittsfield politics, the Nuciforo network made it a point to spread false rumors againt me that I “stalked a Jewish woman from Otis” (she is from Becket, but lives close to Otis, Massachusetts). Since May 1996, when I first met Nuciforo, he had this family bully me on his behalf without Nuciforo leaving behind his own finger-prints. Nuciforo conspiratorially set up the whole manipulated conflict between my family, who lived in Becket at the time, and this family, and then he deployed the vicious rumor underlined with racism against me. The Nuciforo network never told Pittsfield that we resolved our conflict peacefully with the police and that this woman was married in 2002. I was a victim of discrimination once again after the military and the bank.
I don’t like racism or discrimination. It seems to be about power and abuse. It is also very hurtful. I think that Dan Valenti should be careful about pursuing this story.

In the know on this matter we agree Melle comes off as a whinny man child who never takes responsibility for his own actions. He is a talented writer it’s a shame that it is being wasted on his own personal delusional conspiracy that everyone is out to get him.

Look man you almost ran a cop over cause you let your anger take over and were irrational but I bet that’s a conspiracy by the New Hampshire connected politicians too! The grass is always greener on the other side. I’m sorry if the truth hurts.

The privileged white students went to PHS and the disadvantaged black students to Taconic? That’s odd. I graduated from Taconic. I was neither African American nor ‘disadvantaged’ and lived in a middle class neighborhood in Pittsfield. If they were somehow ‘disadvantaged,’ I can only say my African American classmates were some of the best people I’ve ever known. Also, the city of Pittsfield is not the largest employer in the city. That would be the hospital.

How can you say that I ALMOST ran over a cop? What does that even mean? I drove around a police officer. I was wrong for driving around of a police officer. I apologized to the police officer for my crimes of 2 misdeanors: reckless conduct & disobeying a police officer. I am disabled due to my psychiatric conditions. All of my mental health providers agree that I misunderstood the situation with the police officer. I did not mean to commit 2 criminal offenses. But I did. I fulfilled all of my sentence. I served 20 weekends in jail. I served nearly 1 year of probation. I paid a fine. I served 100 hours of community service. I was wrong and I feel badly about what happened. The police officer was also counseled for being disrespectful. I received a letter from the Chief of Police saying so. I feel remorse.

What would make you think anyone is looking for cash. No one has talked about cash. No one has talked about a law suit. No one has talked about any type of money. What i have talked about is respect. Respect that I deserved when I walked into that office. when Mayor Bianchi talked about black people in Pittsfield the way he did he was talking about my family, my friends and the people I have known all my life. How is money suppose to fix that. I am rich in so many ways. I have a loving family, great friends people all over the country that mean something to me and I mean to them. I have changed peoples lives and to hear them say the things they say about me, well no amount of money can give me the pride. To see the kids faces that I have worked with known I am volunteering not making a dime and years later I attend their college graduations and they say thank you Doreen I am here because of you. To have helped unwed mothers get help so they can live good lives and then 5 years later they are back in school getting educated, you tell me if money can give you that kind of feeling. No I do not know who you are but I would never disrespect your character as you have mine without knowing who I am. But you see it is the nature of the world to head to the negative. We are all allowed to freedom, the freedom to believe what we want to believe but just know the person’s heart and you will know the person. I am a real person and one day when you see me you will see someone who has a heart of gold and a soul to match. But thank you for your thoughts of me.

I agree…why would you need to talk to the mayor to move a blog? Sounds like she went looking for money and was turned away. So the race card gets thrown and in comes the NAACP. A lawsuit will soon follow.

JOE
That is a possibility, of course. The mayor should have addressed Wade’s concerns in a more forthright and direct manner. We can only guess, but it seems he was hoping the story would go away. For a couple weeks, nothing came out, but then on May 16, both the GAZETTE and the BEACON had items, with the latter being much more extensive.

Interesting word you used “shakedown”. I would love to know what that means in your world. What can I shakedown a Mayor for? I do not know anything about this man except for the two meetings we have had in April. Someone would have to have a low spirit to set out to hurt someone they didn’t know. Is that me. I don’t think so but obviously saying it means nothing to someone like you with those thoughts so I would be so happy to have anyone sit down and meet me personally. And if you feel the same way afterwords than I am doing something wrong in life but if not, than I have made a new friend and that is nice.

Dan,
I am very disappointed in your story. This story sounds entirely bogus. If I were the mayor and your story accused me of racism, I wouldn’t respond to you either.

Do some homework, Dan. Here is how Ms. Wade treated members of the Medford City Council a few years ago. It seems that she was on the city TV board and the council called the board before them because of an explicit show run on public tv.

MARK
Thank you.
We, too, asked ourselves: Is she out looking for a fight? We then examined her situation. She wishes to move to Pittsfield with her elderly mother, so they can reconnect with their family in the city. That being the case, and wanting to uproot her life and her business, why would she come here “looking for trouble?” It would seem more logical that she would meet with the mayor and other city officials with a cooperative, positive attitude. It seems as if that was the case, only that April 3 meeting disabused her of that attitude.

Well she want’s to move to be closer to family and all that is fine and dandy but it does seem she wants to do it on someone else s dime but got turned down. A white politician in the Berkshires with politically incorrect terminology not understanding why “we ain’t got no affirmative action lady blacks are uneducated (I mean why would they be anything but in an environment like PPS) generally speaking we have no need for your kind” no way not here in the Berkshires!

Do not know who you are but you need to do your homework my friend. I am not out to look for a fight. I served on the Board of Directors of TV 3. I did not agree with the treatment the Medford citizens were getting and i spoke out at City Council meetings in behalf of Medford. I was backed by the Mayor of Medford and it was all done through very legal channels by the City of Medford’s lawyer and that can be proven. Now you need to check the TV 3 people, who have a list of charges brought against them in the courts and not by me. They have over 50 cases on the dockets. They have been taken to court and lost many many times for harassment of Medford citizens who by the way are white. They have been charged with gay bashing of both men and woman, they have assult and battery cases, they have stocking cases, they have many restraining orders against them from Medford citizens, and they have even hurt a man, who is white and handicapped and so much more. I have many people in Medford who are white who will speak to this. If you are going to try to discredit me please do it with people who do not terrorize and hurt others. And if I am accused of fighting to protect the people in the city where I live than so be it. The City Council has even taken TV 3 to court so if you are going to crucify me for protecting myself and others behind these type of people I stand guilty and if you agree with people who do these type of harmful things and would not fight yourself, than Mr. Smith I do not need you to be on my side. I am happy that you would not believe anything I say because I would rather have you not stand beside me than to stand with a person who would stand with that type of treatment to others regardless of color of skin, nationality, sexual preference or anything else. I am not ashamed to have stood up on behalf of myself being black, my neighbors being gay, my neighbors being handicapped and my neighbors being poor. Thank you

Since everyone is so anxious to accuse me of wanting a lawsuit, my Private Investigator who is a white, gay woman from the Western Part of Massachusetts, yes up your way saw this and decided to find out who you are. She should be getting to you within the week to find out where you got the Board information, how you got your information. As I said previously I helped the city, the council and the board, you have your story wrong and I will enjoy sitting down and talking to you so you can get all your facts before you send out any false and slanderous information. Thank you so much. Look forward to meeting you.

Did you ever hear of Google? That Youtube video was easy to find. Oh by the way, I have a call into the Mass Division of the SBA to verify your nomination as Mass SBA Person of 2013. I’m sure it was a self-nomination if such a thing exists. Or maybe Keri nominated you… I will find out. And another thing, anyone can issue a Press Release on anything through PR News Wire.

Lastly, am I violating your copyright on your website if I should copy my own comments that you posted without my permission and paste them back here?

I’m confused here, Dan. You say Mr. Singleton was in the room for the second “ugly” meeting, and yet he told the closed door session of the NAACP that he didn’t know the Mayor’s side? He was there, how can he not know what was said and by whom?

Why did you not ask Mr. Singleton for his own description of this alleged ‘ugly’ exchange?

I’m not saying Ms. Wade is lying, but… since there were others in the room for the second meeting, why hasn’t ONE of them stepped forward to either confirm or deny what was said?

BULL
Good question. The answer, I believe, is this: The NAACP meeting came after the April 3 corner-office meeting but before the April 29 meeting. Wade had not yet gone public with her charges, seeking to handle this behind closed doors. This story only began to slip out in mid-May. As to why others have not stepped forward, I cannot say. Two of the three were from city hall, so their silence would seem problematic. The third person, Mr. Singleton, says his group “understood [Wade's] concerns.” Singleton said he was arranging another followup meeting with Bianchi. No word yet on whether that meeting has taken place. THE PLANET remains open to talk to any of the principals in any of these meetings.

Not sure what you mean by victim blacks or white elitist but I am not in the habit of lying on a person about something sexual as being groped. I am in the habit of holding my head up high and walking with pride and dignity. So if you have any other suggestions for me I would be happy to hear them.

Dan, perhaps your sleuthing should include an admission of not knowing Ms. Wade and your not having investigated her previous claims in other locals rather than posting hurtful assumptions about someone you know and grew up with.

SAL
Perhaps you should start your own blog and handle this story as you see fit. Not knowing Wade and knowing Bianchi actually means, of course, that I come into the story with no preconceptions about her and only favorable ones about him. We speak of personal character. The story isn’t about who’s a “good guy” or not. Everyone’s a “good guy.” It’s about the actions of the mayor, which have been called into question by a woman who seems to us at this point as credible.

Not sure your favorable preconceptions about the mayor are apparent. And you are making assertions that Ms. Wade is credible (without having investigated that she has made similar accusations in other cities) and present headlines linking pejoratives with the mayor. And not interested in starting a blog….I’m barely interested enough to write anything on this one. Life is way too short and way too good….

SAL
The favorable preconceptions refer to my coverage of Dan Bianchi, going back to his first run at a council seat (1997?). I have backed him on many issues, far more than not over the years (for example, see “Civic Authority”). All I’m saying about Ms. Wade is that she appears to be credible. It’s not logical (although possible) for a person to want to move her personal and professional life to a new city and come in with hostile intentions to the powers that be. By the way: Life IS way too good!

For the record, I have never said any other Mayor is racist. I work with the Mayor of Boston’s office, I work with the Mayor of Springfield’s office. I work with Senator’s, Governor’s going back years. I do not know your Mayor I only know the interaction I have had with him. I know what we talked about and the things that were said. Life is short, but I chose to live my life fighting for what is right and what is wrong. I chose to be the person who makes things happen rather than sit back and be quiet. I am not afraid of my past I am proud of it. I have a heart and have shared it with people all over who have known me over 40 to 50 years. Sometimes, even the children I raised say my biggest problem is I am harder on myself than on anyone else. They, mixed children are proud of me and that is all I need.

I don’t know about racism but I can tell you from contact I have had with the mayors office they are combative and take offense to anything that is unfavorable to what they are doing. I can def see that holier than thou attitude. They need to remember they work for us! But like every sleazy politician and every slimy crony that rides on their coat tails they made a bunch of promises and ain’t none if it happening except for the same old raising of our tax’s year after year VOTE BIANCHI OUT!

Scott, If Bianchi remains unopposed, he’s an automatic re-up. He can’t be voted out if things stay as they are now. If you think this tax increase is high, wait until you see those that are yet to come after his given re-election, and his group of supporters and cronies take control of the city council. There has been no substantive changes during Bianchi’s administration, so why would hold overs or prior gratuitous recipients (GOB) seek to unseat him. It simply has been and will continue to be, ” business as usual”.

Please walk through my neighborhood in Medford and talk to my neighbors and let them tell you the type of human being I am. The kindness I show them. How I am allowed to take their children on outings with my family. How we assist each other. And when you walk up and down my street please count the number of blacks on the street. You are about to be surprised. You see I do not need to have any representatives that are black stand up for me. I have so much more on myself. I have people who have known me from one end of the country to the other. From every race and nationality in the world. I can go anywhere and know people from all walks of life. I also respect myself. I live a good life and a christian life and I live by the word of God. Not that i am overly religious because often I work when I should be in church on Sunday but I live, love and believe in life and what that means. I do not have to live in Pittsfield I want to because i love my friends and family who are there. I love when I can see my past and my history. I love when I worked with the Pittsfield Cemetary and helped them get a Grant, not because I had to but because I wanted to. I am proud of who I am can you say that after the comment you made without knowing my character? But bless you anyway

I am sure Bianchi has counsel and that he has been told to keep his mouth shut on the subject. This would be standard and he would be a fool to talk to the Planet or any other media. You know this Dan and you would do the same.

Thank you Dusty and Sal Bando for your logic on this. It seems the mayor is being smart. It’s always good for a reporter to get both sides before going into a story at this length and personally being on the receiving end without being notified by this reporter can be disheartening. Maybe the mayor is leary of talking and rightfully so. The other two papers weren’t so quick to judge and did their homework and I respect them for that.

Many of you seem to have a lot of opinions about my being a liar well I am neither afraid to stand up for myself nor fight for what is right. I am not Anita Hill nor am I anybody except Doreen Wade. A woman who sat in a room an listen to a man degrade the black community of Pittsfield and decided to fight for people who I have known all my life. I did not set out to do anything to Mayor Bianchi as a matter of fact I never met the man before our first meeting. Why did I sit and talk to the mayor because if anyone knew anything about my business I work with Mayor of Boston’s office who I met when i first started working with him. I also work with the Mayor’s office in Springfield who talked to me before I began working with him. I work with Senator’s and with many political leaders around the country. So why wouldn’t I go to Mayor Bianchi since I am working with so many other Mayors and other Leaders. when Kennedy was alive I worked with his office. Before Kerry became Secretary of state I worked with his office and sat on a round table with other media people and talked in Washington. You want to know about about me I will tell you. I will be happy to sit before anyone and tell them who I am, who I work with and why I decided to meet with the Mayor. I work with Medical people, Fitness people, Educators across the country. They are all writers you can see their work every month. If I am going to work with people I get to know them. If anyone making comments has a business and thinks it is wrong to meet with people please speak up. Just because a person calls someones actions racist doesn’t make her/him a bad person. If you came to me and wanted to be a writer and I turned you away because you were white and I was black does that make me wrong. So if I am wrong why for those actions than why I am I being persecuted by calling someone out who I feel has done the same to me. If we allow our political leaders to say things just because they are our leaders than we making people gods and saying they can not make mistakes. Maybe a discussion is necessary, maybe it is time for people to talk. Maybe it is time for people to look around and see what is right under their noses. I am not afraid and will not be run away. I will not be in fear of being disrespected because by many of the comments it is easy to disrespect a person through ignorance and ignorant statements. I am an educated women and I do not need anything from anyone that I do not deserve but what i do deserve is respect. Maybe it is many of you who are afraid that if the truth comes out Pittsfield will no longer exist in the way it has. My skin may be black but every day I look at two children now adults who are half black half Italian that I gave up my life to give a home, and education and a healthy way of life. I am proud of them and they are proud of me for standing up for myself knowing what it will cost me. So maybe Mr. Valenti is right, maybe as he said in this article, maybe I need to stand before the citizens of Pittsfield, Great Barrington, North Adams and the other parts of the Berkshires and speak out while the Mayor stands before me and maybe when we are together and speaking you will be able to see who has to really admit to saying what. And for the record, I worked in Publishing for many years, I worked for almost 16 years as an accountant while putting two children through school, catholic schools, North Cambridge Catholic in cambridge. Counseling troubled chidlren. Developing programs for the youth at a community center where all the children we white. I went to catholic school all my life where most of my youth was spent in a white system. I have had advantages many have not had. So for those of you who think I am uneducated, ignorant, and live in some drug infested ghetto think again. And if you want to know my business check it out at http://www.neinformer.net. Thank you for your comments, they really helped me realize why the city is run by the people who run it.

What confuses me is why Bianchi is not responding to DV. Does he not know who DV is? Does he not realize that DV does not just “go away”?
I have made an observation over the years: Any mayor who has failed to respond to Dan Valenti’s questioning in the past, has failed to get re-elected.
Power does funny things to people.
What started out as an approachable, seemingly down-to-earth city councilor has turned into nothing more than an “I don’t care about you little people” hypocrite.
The visual I have for all of us taxpayers in Pittsfield is of a bunch of stretched rubber bands. I have felt this way for a long time. The mayors’ overly-inflated proposed budget can only stretch us to our absolute limits. How can the people of our city survive if we are continuously taxed so harshly that we can’t afford to enjoy our community at all? And if someone wants to set up shop here, who the hell is HE to tell this person that she will surely fail?
And honestly, when was the last time he actually took a walk in Pittsfield? Does he fail to see that we are an expanding, culturally diverse community of people?
I’m sorry. We can’t thrive with someone like Bianchi in charge. If he can’t answer Dan’s simple questioning, what else is he hiding from all of us?

That’s a flat one levitan because you know that all Mr. Valenti did was report THE TRUTH of a a story that the mainstream media tried to bury especialy the BB…A woman, probably drunk, runs over a pedestrian nearly kills him leaves the scene and expresses no remorse….She pled guilty to reckless driving. Thank God on behalf of The Moore family for Mr Valenti’s dogged reporting…

The question is whether one uses a blog to take revenge against a plaintiff by smearing their reputation. Valenti resorted to the basest option and used the medium of sex and social media to titillate.

Now let’s talk TRUTH (what does that stand for?)

“Mr. Valenti did was report THE TRUTH of a a story that the mainstream media tried to bury especialy the BB”

You are off to a good start, and we have seen other socially connected people pull of vehicular homicides and get away with it here.

“A woman, probably drunk”

You’re losing balance and are now opining. Maybe she was not drunk, but angry, or on the phone, or….

“runs over a pedestrian nearly kills him leaves the scene and expresses no remorse”

Yes, she did that, but again we don’t know about the mental state and ‘remorse.’

“She pled guilty to reckless driving. Thank God on behalf of The Moore family for Mr Valenti’s dogged reporting…”

The startling points of the story are the callousness of leaving a man to perish alone, and the amazing manipulation of the court. Eventually, the family ran out of tricks, but why thank Valenti? How about Mr. Oliver? And then there is the Moore family who obviously wasn’t going to eat their shark and go away.

Thank him because he brought light to a situation that was going to be buried. the Moores didn’t have “connections” and thankfully Dan was an integral part of justice for that family. For free.
Keep that in mind.

Thanks, MOM. The Moores, who didn’t have “connections,” were up against a woman-child of privilege who counted on her father’s connections to free her from the consequences of her bad decisions. They had no chance, until this crusading journalist got involved.

I used to follow his blog, but when I discovered that Valenti writes to appeal to the negative and character assassination, and freely sprinkles rumor, half-truths (untruths) amongst stories that are sensational.

For a study of journalistic practice, I recommend reading “Scoop.”

I’m sure you have good intentions, VM, but do you really want to associate with someone who motivates his readers with invidious content?

Also, check out “INSIDE REPORTING: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism.” Author, Tim Harrower. I may be using this text in my INTRO TO JOURNALISM course in the fall at the college. Still time for you to enroll, BTW.

This is my reply to Doreen above. Sometimes people only read the posts at the end:

Dear Doreen,

Did you ever hear of Google? That Youtube video was easy to find. Oh by the way, I have a call into the Mass Division of the SBA to verify your nomination as Mass SBA Person of 2013. I’m sure it was a self-nomination if such a thing exists. Or maybe Keri nominated you… I will find out. And another thing, anyone can issue a Press Release on anything through PR News Wire.

Lastly, am I violating your copyright on your website if I should copy my own comments that you posted without my permission and paste them back here?

Can you really relate this mess to civil insurrection? If Doreen is Ghandi, who is Churchill? And who get to play the Sikhs and when do the non Hindus get driven off to Pakistan? Sounds like an advertisement for free meals to me.

You bring the metaphor, I bring the interpretation, and what a party we shall have.

The point, as I see it, pertains to why someone with a failed blog, no capital, and little stock in Medford would want to raise a superfluous stink in Pittsfield, where her mother lives. No lawsuit, no hush-money, but there is the question of a hasty introduction.

I wonder why you so miserably failed to do your homework before your meeting with the Mayor. You failed to go to the City webpage which lists people to contact with the City that would have given you a wealth of information. One phone call would have answered all your questions and then maybe you could have had a meeting with the mayor. Although, I really don’t see why you would need one.

It is interesting that this story comes out now over a month after the alleged events Could be that signatures are being collected for the mayoral ballot. A little pay back Doreen?

Sounds to me like a shake-down — and the weapon being used was the race card.
What in the way of financial support was Ms. Wade actually seeking from the city?
If her Web-based magazine with its total nine employees (count ‘em: http://www.neinformer.net/aboutus.html) is making money, then why does the company need anything in the way of help from the taxpayers of the City of Pittsfield for the 100-mile U-Haul trip from Medford?
Alternatively, if the company is not making money, why is it up to local taxpayers to foot the bill either for the big move from Medford or to subsidize weekly operations?
Black-owned or white-owned, it seems like Ms. Wade is just wanting green owned by the City’s taxpayers so she can move to the Beautiful Berkshires.
Wade tells Valenti she wants to move; what about the other eight employees of the firm?
If Wade’s company could guarantee even 50 jobs it might be worthwhile to help her get a few tax breaks, but from all outward appearances it looks as though Ms. Wade was simply looking for moolah to finance her move and looking to the Mayor for far more generosity than he was prepared to offer given the cost-to-benefit ratio.
Granted, Mayor Bianchi has been a wimp and a total do-nothing when it has come to reopening the GE Consent Decree, but I tend to side with him if he feels he and the City were being the target of a shakedown.
Had Ms. Wade been white, would she seriously expect the Mayor to give her boku grants and the key to the city for a business with 9 employees?
And what if the Mayor had actually inquired to see the company’s financials, would the lady’s response have been to yell “Discrimination!”?
What was Ms. Wade’s purpose in having even one meeting with the Mayor?
A business-person truly interested in ‘due diligence’ would have made the Chamber of Commerce or BerkshireOne their first stop, not the Mayor’s office — more proof of Ms. Wade’s intentions to enforce a political solution where only a business solution is warranted. (Need money? Go to a bank!)
If Ms. Wade wants to move her operation to the city, then let her proceed on her own dime and let’s hope her company prospers and contributes to the tax base, but other than that
it sounds as though this publisher was expecting from the City a little too much and offering in return far too little in prospective growth and employment opportunities.

I don’t know if she has anyone on her payroll or not. I’m just pointing out your speculation that she “likely” gets her workers from local high schools. I fail to see the basis for that assumption. As for cigars, I prefer Churchills of Torpedos.

You raise fair questions, Heller, but I don’t find it unusual for Ms. Wade to visit the mayor’s office early on in her quest, especially given the political situation in the city, which is, to put it kindly, dysfunctional. I agree fully with this comment of yours: “If Ms. Wade wants to move her operation to the city, then let her proceed on her own dime and let’s hope her company prospers and contributes to the tax base.” I have had no indication that she was seeking any public money.

We must have really stuck the needle in you with our coverage of this case for you to become THIS desperate, LEV. This may be hard for you to grasp, but every case, every cause, and every context are unique.

Levitan – You are presumptions and intolerant of any one’s opinion, but your own. That in itself is very revealing. How dare you speak for me as a champion of any cause. You don’t know me and yet you use me via my words to attack Ms. Wade and to ‘champion your own cause.’ I am I at fault for admiring two quotes from two great humanitarians and leaders in history?
Please speak for yourself and try to be more tolerant of differing opinions. It is after all, the foundation of democracy.
Thank you

You are presumptions and intolerant of any one’s opinion, but your own

No, I recognized others for writing sensible commentary. Please explain where I have been intolerant. I remind you that opinions are unfounded conclusions, so true – I take them with a grain of salt.

How dare you speak for me as a champion of any cause.

It is after all, the foundation of democracy.

What, stepping aside and letting someone coast into town on a magic carpet of Scandal and Racial Politics? How about this: grow a skin and be ready to fight back if you are challenged on a blog.

Rather narcissisitic of you. I refer to Valenti as the one championing her cause. So far, you are kind of in the peanut gallery.

I am I at fault for admiring two quotes from two great humanitarians and leaders in history?

No fault in admiring them, but I question their relevance here. Corn is a good crop, but it doesn’t grow well in the Artic. (You like metaphors, yes?) Also, I’m not certain Ghandi is a humanitarian. He was committed to relieving the Indian subcontinent from Churchill’s Empire. He maintained his silence in regards to other peoples’ catastrophes.

You don’t know me and yet you use me via my words to attack Ms. Wade and to ‘champion your own cause.

Huh? You lost me there. As for causes, I don’t recall filling the void of etherspace with Doreen Wade.

You are presumptions and intolerant of any one’s opinion, but your own

Incorrect. I recognized others for writing sensible commentary. Please explain where I have been intolerant. I remind you that opinions are unfounded conclusions, so true – I take them with a grain of salt.

How dare you speak for me as a champion of any cause. You don’t know me and yet you use me via my words to attack Ms. Wade and to ‘champion your own cause.

Huh? You lost me there. As for causes, I am not the one filling the Ether with Doreen Wade.
But, it is narcissisitic of you to think that you are the subject there. I refer to Valenti as the one championing her cause.

I am I at fault for admiring two quotes from two great humanitarians and leaders in history?

There is no harm in admiring them, but I question their relevance here. Corn is a good crop, but it doesn’t grow well in the Artic. (You like metaphors, yes?) Also, I’m not certain Ghandi is a humanitarian. He was committed to relieving the Indian subcontinent from Churchill’s Empire. He maintained his silence in regards to other peoples’ catastrophes. Some even blame him for the expulsion of non-Hindi from India. Was that fair?

It is after all, the foundation of democracy.

What, stepping aside and letting someone coast into town on a magic carpet of Scandal and Racial Politics? How about this: grow a skin and be ready to fight back if you are challenged on a blog.

……that Doreen Wade has a business, was looking for grants, and was told to leave because of her race.

Can you tolerate that?

I am not tolerating any side or opinion on this issue. In My- and I mean, My opinion, there is simply not enough information available yet for me to cast a fair and objective opinion. However, I am accepting and tolerant enough of others rights to make/ write their own opinion on the matter.

PETE & LEVITAN
You back and forth has been interesting, up to the point where Lev tries to show off his/her big brains. PETE has bested LEV on the basis of simplicity, directness, and a non-defensive stance. That being said, appreciate the contributions of both of you.

P.S – I simply made comments about MLK’s and Ghandi’s quotes and in doing so never cast or attributed any guilt on the part of Mr. Mayor Bianchi or Ms. Wade in any of my posts. Yet, your disposition and intolerance seemed to projected me as taking sides on this issue. This position was cast on me by you and is not based on any opinion I posted about this issue.

Also, for the record-. I have no idea where the truth lies in this matter, but have faith more will come to light. What that will- be I have no idea.

I have little faith you can or will receive this as it is meant, as you simply seem to be blinded by your ornery disposition.

Mr Pot: You are black, Mr. Kettle!
Mr. Kettle: The hell you say!
Substitute Levitan and Pittsfield Pete for either Pot or Kettle.
BTW, this is based on an old saying; it is in no way racist.
Thank you and goodbye.
(Seems to be the standard coda)

That was my question also GMHeller. I guess every new business and every business moving to Pittsfield including an online blog gets a free one hour meeting with the mayor. Compliments of the taxpayers of the city of Pittsfield.

Then if you don’t like what the mayor says, you can call in the big guns.